Episode 220: Nutrition for Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Want to learn the difference between dieting for HS and nutrition? We've got TWO experts. This week, we're joined by Cristina Curp and Jillian Ondreyka as they walk us through how nutrition can impact a patient's hidradenitis supurativa. Listen is as they discuss the relationship with food, food sensitivity testing, and how nutrition is more about adding good food in than taking bad food out. Each Thursday, join Dr. Raja and Dr. Hadar, board-certified dermatologists, as they share the latest evidence-based research in integrative dermatology. For access to CE/CME courses, become a member at LearnSkin.com.

 

Cristina Curp was diagnosed with HS at 13 years old, like many she spent most of her life hiding the disease. A decade ago, that changed, as she began to share her journey with nutrition to better manage her inflammatory symptoms, she also became vocal about living with Hidradenitis Suppurativa. The journey led to a successful food blog, 2 best selling cookbooks, and a decade of helping others with HS through food. Most recently, she joined the team at HS Connect as COO, and is thrilled to take her advocacy work to the next level.

 

Jillian Ondreyka is a Dietitian with over 10 years of experience partnering with clients to achieve their nutrition goals. As a person with Hidradenitis Suppurativa, she became interested in how food can help calm inflammation in the body to encourage healing. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a Master of Public Health and Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics. She earned the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certified Practitioner (IFNCP) credential and is a Certified LEAP Therapist (CLT). LEAP stands for Lifestyle Eating and Performance and is a patient-specific oligoantigenic diet based on the Leukocyte Activation Assay-Mediator Release Test (LAA-MRT®). Jillian began participating in dermatology research evaluating the effectiveness of the LEAP program in improving outcomes in HS in 2022. In 2025, she became a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES).